The Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge will be renewed next season. UNLV drew the toughest assignment by getting a Dec. 2 road game against Wichita State, which finished this season with a 30-5 record and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Basketball
Findlay Prep used its size advantage to grab a 63-50 victory over previously unbeaten Blanche Ely (Fla.) on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament in New York City.
Virginia Commonwealth University coach Shaka Smart accepted the Texas Longhorns job on Thursday night, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman.
Freshman Chris McCullough plans to test the NBA draft process after one season at Syracuse. Sports Illustrated reported McCullough is expected to turn pro.
Gregg Marshall is staying at Wichita State, agreeing to a seven-year deal worth $3.3 million per season.
Bowling Green fired men’s basketball coach Chris Jans following an investigation into his public conduct.
Thirty. That was UNLV’s margin of victory in the 1990 NCAA basketball championship game over Duke in a record-setting 103-73 performance by the Rebels. And it happened 25 years ago today — April 2, 1990. The 30-point win is still an NCAA record for largest margin of victory in a title game.
Findlay Prep, which has won nine consecutive games since losing to Canyon Springs, will meet Blanche Ely (Fla.) on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the eight-team Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament in New York City. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Findlay Prep’s Allonzo Trier scored 17 points to lead the West in its 111-91 loss to the East on Wednesday in the McDonald’s All American Game in Chicago. Bishop Gorman’s Stephen Zimmerman had six points and six rebounds, and his high school teammate Chase Jeter had five points and two blocked shots.
The Northern Arizona basketball team, which has strong Las Vegas connections, has had a wild ride this season. The Lumberjacks beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology and are headed to Indiana to play the University of Evansville in the College Insiders.com Tournament finals.
The Final Four is in Indianapolis this weekend, and even though the UConn Huskies are not in the tournament, Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin Ollie is scheduled to travel there. On Tuesday, UConn announced that Ollie, and other members of the men’s basketball staff, will not travel to Indiana for the Final Four.
Oklahoma City Thunder star forward Kevin Durant said he wants to stay with the team for his entire career in commenting about his future free agency.
If you don’t want to wait to see who will win this year’s NCAA tournament, you’re in luck. Jimmy Fallon figured it out for everyone.
“I think we have the pieces in place to have a breakout season,” UNLV basketball coach Dave Rice says. “This is UNLV, and I believe that we need to be relevant in March, and we will be relevant in March.”
D Las Vegas owner Derek Stevens made a $20,000 wager at 50/1 on the Spartans to win the NCAA Tournament. That means Golden Nugget sportsbook director Tony Miller is routing for Duke on Saturday.
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